GIANYAR, DEWATA.NEWS – Bali Governor Wayan Koster has announced plans to place stronger emphasis on “quality tourism” going forward, following a record 7.05 million foreign tourist arrivals to Bali in 2025.
The governor said future tourism policies would focus not only on visitor numbers, but also on the profile and behavior of tourists, as part of efforts to ensure sustainability and better management of the island’s tourism sector.
Koster made the remarks while receiving a visit from Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, at Puri Saren Ubud on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
According to Koster, Bali is preparing a regional regulation (Perda) to strengthen tourism governance. One of the aspects under consideration is the concept of quality tourism, which includes monitoring visitor characteristics such as length of stay, accommodation choices, activities, and overall spending patterns.
“One aspect we are looking at is quality tourism. This includes how long visitors stay in Bali, where they stay, who they travel with, and what activities they engage in, so everything can be better managed, similar to when we travel to other countries,” Koster said.
He explained that the policy approach draws from international practices and is intended to improve oversight without rushing to judge current challenges such as traffic congestion, waste management, or flooding.
Koster also reflected on Bali’s tourism recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that in 2021, international arrivals dropped to just dozens of visitors, before gradually increasing in early 2022 as travel restrictions were eased and promotional schemes such as “Work from Bali” were introduced with central government support.
Those recovery measures, he said, helped revive tourism but also contributed to ongoing debates and pressures within the sector.
Despite current challenges, official data shows that international tourism to Bali continued to grow in 2025. Foreign visitor arrivals reached 7.05 million, an increase of around 750,000 compared to 2024’s 6.3 million, marking the highest figure in the past decade and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
“Bali tourism has recovered and grown beyond pre-COVID levels,” Koster said.
Domestic tourism, however, showed a decline. In 2025, domestic tourist arrivals reached 9.28 million, down approximately 730,000 from 10.12 million in 2024. Combined foreign and domestic arrivals in 2025 totaled around 16.3 million, slightly lower than the previous year.
Koster emphasized that the figures demonstrate Bali remains a major global tourism destination, countering claims that the island is experiencing a downturn. He also pointed to cruise tourism growth, noting that more than 71,000 foreign cruise passengers arrived via Benoa Port in 2025, up from 53,000 in 2024.
Looking ahead to 2026, the governor said the provincial government will evaluate the decline in domestic tourism, including possible links to reduced flight availability, higher airfares, flooding issues, or shifts in travel patterns from air to land transport.